Kathmandu

Representatives of 11 major faiths gathering in Nepal, have vowed to mobilize billions of believers to conserve the world's natural resources.

Representatives of the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Shinto, Taoist and Zoroastrian faiths met in Kathmandu to address a range of international environmental challenges and to unveil their "Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet" initiatives to promote environmental responsibility and sustainability.

Among the 26 initiatives, the China Taoist Association, the umbrella organisation for 40 million Taoists in China, is calling on its members not to use endangered animals such as tigers, rhinos, brown bears and musk deer in the preparation of traditional medicine products.

The Nepal gathering was a joint initiative of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), and coincided with the WWF's annual conference, also held in Kathmandu.